By Frankie Kujawa
‘This isn’t your English teacher’s Greek tragedy,’ boasts Baltimore Center Stage’s upcoming production of BAKKHAI by Anne Carson.  Based on the Greek tragedy from Euripides, this new version has been described as ‘Burning Man in a theatre.’ Running from Wednesday, June 1st – Sunday, June 19th, BAKKHAI is a cautionary tale about the consequences of a civilization’s fear of the unknown. Featuring original music from the incomparable Diana Oh, debauchery, and a whole lot of wine, BAKKHAI will have audiences partying like it’s 399 BC. 

​Having created and channeled the music of BAKKHAI, Diana Oh also performs in the production as the voice of the Bakkhai.  Oh recently described the process that went into creating music for BAKKHAI, what Center Stage audiences can look forward to, and how this is the type of Greek play that will not make you want to ‘gouge your eyes out.’

By Frankie Kujawa
​The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines gentrification as “the process in which a poor area (as of a city) experiences an influx of middle-class or wealthy people who renovate and rebuild homes and businesses and which often results in an increase in property values and the displacement of earlier, usually poorer residents.” This idea of gentrification is explored in Baltimore Center Stage’s production of DREAM HOU$E by Eliana Pipes which runs through Sunday, May 15th. 

By Frankie Kujawa
​Everyman Theatre’s Resident Company member Megan Anderson has captivated and entertained Baltimore audiences for almost twenty years.  Currently performing in the adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel “Sense and Sensibility” (written by Kate Hamill and directed by Susanna Gellert), Anderson continues to delight audiences in this performance as eldest sister Elinor Dashwood.  Anderson recently chatted about her current performance, her recent artwork which is subsequently on display at Everyman, and what inspires her as a performer. 

By Frankie Kujawa
​The ‘Eye of the Tiger’ is laser-focused in the ring this month at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, MD!  Running through Sunday, June 5th, Rocky: A Knockout Musical, will have audiences on the edge of their seats rooting for both romance and the underdog!  The powerful musical, based on the Academy Award-winning Best Picture, tells the story of Rocky Balboa gaining the confidence he needs to take on heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Actor Patrick Gover (Rocky) recently chatted about the training that went into preparing for this role and what he hopes audiences take away from the performance.

By Frankie Kujawa
Winner of six 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Dear Evan Hansen will run at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre from Tuesday, March 15th through Sunday, March 22nd. Thanks in part to a letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, and a life he never dreamed he could have, Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in. Audiences will find that Dear Evan Hansen is a deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. Cast member Matthew Edward Kemp chats with us about the upcoming Baltimore performance.

By Frankie Kujawa
Everyman Theatre’s Behold, A Negress, the World Premiere play by playwright Jacqueline E. Lawton, is a passionate and daring examination of the challenges of intersectional feminism and the role of art during times of social unrest and political upheaval. Running through Sunday, February 27th, the play is set in Paris at the beginning of Napoleon’s reign.  With an imagined intimate relationship between real-life painter Marie-Guillemine Benoist and her muse Madeleine, a formerly enslaved black woman; both women maneuver the codes of women’s power in pursuit of their own liberty and equality.  As the play unfolds, Marie’s ambition and desire for artistic recognition overshadow Madeleine’s sense of justice and personal integrity thereby causing the women to find themselves on the brink of their own revolution. Based on the playwright’s awestruck experience upon viewing with the real-life Portrait of Madeleine (formerly known as Portrait of a Negress) by Marie-Guillemine Benoist, Lawton discusses her inspiration for the play, the influences of her work, and what this experience has taught her about writing.

By Frankie Kujawa
Polish off those disco balls, Charm City, because Summer: The Donna Summer Musical has the "Hot Stuff" to melt away your winter blues!  Running from Tuesday, February 15th through Sunday, February 20th, at Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre, the music and story of the Queen of Disco will have audiences dancing in their seats. Performer, Robert Ayala, sits down to chat about the upcoming performance, as well as the enduring legacy of Donna Summer.  

By Frankie Kujawa
The cold, harsh icy winds of winter aren’t enough to stop the entrancing magic of Disney on Ice from returning this month to the Royal Farms Arena. Running from Wednesday, February 9th thru Sunday, February 13th, Disney on Ice presents ‘Let’s Celebrate’ will feature fourteen classic and modern Disney stories in one epic production.  Performer Alejandro Garcia, who plays Buzz Lightyear, recently chatted about the upcoming production.